Internal-combustion engine



E. CROUSE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20, 1919.

1,344,263. Patented June 22, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET l.

I l I 28 F- a 2a 55 M JL E. CROUSE.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 20. 1919.

1,34L4Q263g Patented J1111622, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMORY CROUSE, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS.

INTERIYAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EMORY (house, a citizen of the Unlted States, residing at \Vichita, in'the county of Sedgwick and State of hansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification. a

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, particularly to those of the two-cycle type, and .has for its object the provision of an engine in which are provided compression cylinders auxiliary to the working or explosive cylinders andfor the purpose of initially compressing a charge of vaporized. fuel prior to its passage into the working cylinders, the advantage being an increasein power.

' An important object is the provision of an engine of this character which is equally well adapted for the use of either light or heavy oils as fuelowing to the provision of means for preheating the charge within the compression cylinders so as to increase its explosive qualities before its introduction within the working cylinders, a distinctive feature being the provision of annular chambers surrounding the compression cylinders into which chambers passes, optionally, the exhaust from the working cylinders.

An additional object is the provision'of an engine of this character which is valveless and which therefore eliminates the use of elaborate "alve operating mechanism, and consequently renders the engine inexpensive and simple in construction, economical and efficient in use, durable in service, and a general improvement in the art.

Vith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the intake side of the engine,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the exhaust side,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view, and

Fig. et is a horizontal sectional view.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the crank case of the engine upon which is secured the cylinder casting 11' having formed therein cylinders 12, 13, 14 and 15, the former being compression and the latter explosive cyl- Specification of Letters Patent. .Patented J He 22, 1920 Application filed November 20, 1919. Serial No. 339,307.

'inders. The usual -crank-shaft 16 is provided which is of course connected by connecting rods 17 with the pistons 18, 19, 20, and 21 in the respective cylinders.

The-explosive cylinders 14 and 15 are provided with spark plugs 22' as shown. These cylinders are surrounded by a water jacket 23 having an inlet pipe 24. and an outlet pipe 25. It will be noted that this water jacket does not extend around the cylinders 12 and 13, which are, instead, surrounded by chambers 26 and 27, respectively, which are open to the atmosphere through ports 28. The cylinders 12 and 13 are provided at their upper portions with ports 29 leading into by-passes 30 and 31 which communicate with ports 32 in the intermediate portions of the cylinders 14 and 15, respectively.

any suitable constant level oil feed, indicated conventionally at 38. Either manifold may be used as will be hereinafter explained. Formed in the cylinders 12 and 13, at points preferably diametrically opposite the ports 35, are )orts 39 which communicate with the chain ers 26 and 27 and formed in the cylinders 14 and 15 are exhaust ports 40, and all of these ports communicate with an exhaust manifold 41 which is of Y shape and which has its descending or outlet branch 42 provided with a butterfly valve 43 and any suitable means for operating the same. 1

The operation of the engine is as follows: \Vhen it is desired to operate with gasolene or any. other suitable highly volatile fuel, the flow of heavy oil to or through the manifold 36 is cut off by any preferred means and the fuel is delivered to the cylinders through the manifold 33 and ports 35. V hen heavy oils are used the flow to or through the manifold 33 is cut off and fuel is delivered to the cylinders through the manifold 36 and the spray jets 37. Regardless of which form of fuel is used, the operation of the engine is the same. When the pistons 18 and 19 are at the tops of their strokes and move downwardly, a partial vacuum is formed to therear of them until the pistons pass the ports 35, or jets 37 whereupon a charge of fuel will be sucked very violently into the cylinders 12 and 13,

and the violence of this intake will assist materially in breaking up the fuel into a more highly explosive vapor. As the pistons 18 and 19 move upwardly the pistons 20 and 21 move-downwardly and the mixture within the cylinders 12 and 13 willbe compressed in advance of the pistons 18 and 19 until the pistons 20 and 21 pass the ports 32 whereupon the compressed charges will enter the cylinders 14 and 15 through the by-passes 30 and 31. As the pistons 20 and 21 subsequently move upwardly they will compress the charges still more until they reach the upper ends of their strokes whereupon explosion occurs and the pistons 20 and 21 are forced downwardly on their working strokes. lVhen the pistons 20 and 21 reach their downward limits they will uncover the exhaust ports 40 and the burnt gases will be discharged into the exhaust manifold 41. It will be observed that the two sets of compression andworking pistons operate in alternation.

When using heavy oils as fuel, it is highlydesirable and in fact necessary that the fuel be heated before entering the cylinders 14 and 15. In order to accomplish this, it is merely necessary to move the valve.43 to partly or entirely close the outlet of the exhaust manifold. The exhaust gases from the cylinders 14 and 15 will then pass through the manifold 41 and through the ports 39 into the chambers 26 and 27 surrounding the compression cylinders 12 and 13 and these cylinders will consequently be greatly heated, thus efficiently vaporizing the fuel issuing from the jets 37 so asto provide a highly explosive charge. The exhaust then passes from the chambers 26 and 27 into the atmosphere through the ports 28. By only partly closing the valve 13 the' amount of exhaust passing into the heating chambers may be readily regulated so as to avoid overheating of the engine.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawings, it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simple and inexpensive engine which is free from valves and all of the mechanism required for their operation, which will be powerful owing to claims. Y

sion cylinders.

signature.

the double compression, which is capable of using either li ht or heavy oils as fuel, which is provi ed with means for preheating the fuel when necessary or desired, and which will efliciently perform all the functions for which it is intended.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will of course be readily understood that I reserve the right to make such changes in the form, construction, and arrangement of parts as'will not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a pair of working cylinders, a pair of compression cylinders communicating therewith through by-passes, the compression cylinders having hollow walls-defining annular chambers, means for supplying fuel to the compression cylinders, said working cylinders having exhaust ports communicating with an exhaust manifold, said annular chambers having orts communicating with the exhaust mani old and other ports leading to the atmosphere, said exhaust manifold having an outlet to the atmosphere,

and a butterfly valve within said outlet 7 whereby all or part of the exhaust gases may be deflected into said chambers.

' 2. In an internal combustion engine, a

pair of working cylinders, a pair of compression cylinders communicating therewith through by-passes, the compression cylinders-having hollow walls defining annular chambers, a heavy fuel manifold and a light fuel manifold leading to inlet ports in said compression cylinders and selectively usable, said working cylinders having exhaust ports. communicating with. an exhaust manifold, and said annular chambers having ports communicating with the exhaust manifold and other ports leading to the atmosphere, and means within the exhaust manifold whereby the exhaust may be permitted to pass therefrom when the light fuel is used or to deflect the exhaust into said chambers when the heavy fuel is used whereby to assist in vaporization thereof in the compres- In testimony whereof I hereto affix my EMORY CROUSE. 

